This rice cooker meal is something I make whenever I’m really lazy,
And I just want an easy, low-effort meal.
I’ve been in a bit of a creative rut lately, and in the hopes of persevering and powering through, it feels like I’ve been smashing a concrete wall over and over. Each time upon impact, I’m a little more bruised but stubbornly more determined to break through. Unfortunately, this tactic doesn’t seem to be working all that well for me and I’ve had to accept that sometimes you can’t just power through to get shit done. Otherwise the stuff that will get done will actually be shit.
So I’ve changed gears from trying to accomplish the more complicated recipes I’ve been testing to just taking a break and making some easy, lazy comfort food. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop and walk away and come back with fresh eyes when you’re ready. So here’s me switching gears to something that’s a little random and not quite anything I’ve done before. This is a general formula for one of my weird rice cooker meals, where I just dump a bunch of stuff into the rice cooker and hope that it turns out well when it’s done. I imagine this rice cooker meal would also work very well in the instant pot, but I haven’t tried it yet. My instant pot is significantly larger than my rice cooker, so that probably would have solved the volume problem I encountered in my video, but oh well.
You live and you learn.
If you want to see a couple other of my lazy, weird and fairly-carb-dependent meals, check out my latest video :)
A more detailed update on my general life/feelings to come!
Lazy Rice Cooker Meal – Rice and Beans & Stuff?
Ingredients
- 2 cups white jasmine rice
- 3 cups water (I used enough water to cover all the ingredients in the end)
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup red pepper, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt (I tend to like things undersalted so you may need to add more salt later on)
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil (I used sunflower)
- 1 medium vine tomato, stem/core removed and an X cut at the bottom
- Garnish: fresh cilantro and green onion
Instructions
- Combine rice, water, black beans, red pepper, onion, garlic powder, kosher salt, ground coriander, ground cumin, and oil and stir to evenly coat mixture with spices. Sit the tomato in the middle, half submerged in the liquid.
- Ensure that there is enough water to cover all the ingredients. Avoid totally overstuffing your rice cooker (like I did in the video). You may need to cook for a second round without the extra room in the cooker for pressure.
- Allow rice cooker to cook through one cycle, then check if the rice is done. If it's cooked through, smash the tomato and mix into the rest o the mixture. Serve with hot sauce or with some salt, salsa/guac. This rice also makes great filling for burritos or as a base for a burrito bowl.
Ana Vegan says
Hey Lisa, would it be smart or stupid to add curry? I love curry, but I’m afraid that it will ruin the taste :)
Lisa Le says
hmmm i think you could if you wanted to! I was going for more a Mexican-inspired flavour but you do you!
John Bishop says
I am going mostly veggies alone. My lovely wife meat/potatoes. I’m the cook so limiting the total amount of food is an issue. If I roughly maintain the ration of ingredients,will it work? Thanks.
Lisa Le says
Hi John, I’m not sure what you’re asking. I think you’re saying you’re only adding veggies? If you maintain the ratio of ingredients it’s likely it will be fine? Please report back your experiments :)
Naturais says
I love curry
Codrut Turcanu says
I love rice… never tried with beans inside… thanks for this recipe, my family will love it!
kristin says
love rice and beans – so easy but so delicious! throw some avocado on top and you’re good to go!
Linda Cast says
Outstanding! This one-step method makes a fast, hot, tasty vegan dish that makes me three meals. I didn’t know you could add so much in a rice cooker. For this first attempt I was in a hurry and forgot the spices and also substituted red beans. Then added (post-cooking): garlic hummus and an avocado, which made it creamy. Lovely, thank you!
Gloria Diaz says
This is a wonderful recipe! It looks super easy and I know it tastes amazing!
Lisa Le says
I’m glad you liked it!
Joshua Howard says
Hi! I really like your healthy recipes! Yesterday I made it and it was really yummy. Thank you for the share!
Laura Beth Bigelow says
Love your recipes and your fun Personality!
Billy says
Your lazy rice cooker meal idea is genius! Making a complete, flavorful dish with such ease is a game-changer. Your step-by-step guide and variations make it even more enticing. Thanks for sharing this time-saving and delicious solution for busy days. Can’t wait to give it a try!